Solomon's Throne

by Jennings Wright

  “Rei, chill. Just keep walking, keep talking, and use your light. Look up there, see? The hotel. Don’t run and look like some kind of antelope… Just walk.” He didn’t trust her to listen, however, and kept a grip on her arm.

  When they entered the lobby, Rei was so relieved that she sunk into a chair. “I swear I heard a hyena out there laughing. I hate that sound they make…” She put her hand over heart and tried to breathe.

  “I don’t think it was a hyena. It sounded more like a warthog to me.”

  “Warthogs don’t laugh, Gid.”

  “Yeah, and they don’t eat people, either. We’re safe now, Rei.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get some dinner. I’ll even get you a glass of wine. And maybe a back rub later.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Zimbabwe

  1687

  It took a week of preparation, during which time Isabel and Joao stayed aboard the Santa Antiono de Tanna. Joao hired a native guide, and agreed to pay for a dozen men to accompany them as porters and, if needed, protection. Two African elephants were pressed into service to carry supplies and tents, and the porters also were to carry food, weapons, cooking equipment, and other necessities.

  “But Joao, where are we going? And please tell me that I do not have to ride upon those beasts!”

  Joao laughed. “No, my love. You do not have to ride upon the oliphants. For some of the way we will be able to use a cart and oxen. Some of the way, I’m afraid you will have to walk. But we will also have small ponies with us, and you will be able to ride on those, as well. We are going far inland, to a great ruin of an ancient people. We will follow the Save River part of the way, but much of the way we will walk across grasses and through forests. We shall see a great many animals, and I think you shall find many things to draw on the way.”

  Isabel was most pleased with everything except the mention of walking. “We will be walking?”

  “Yes. There are times when that is the only option. I have had some proper shoes shod for you, and for myself as well. And you might… well, you might want to consider wearing my breeches when we come to it.”

  Isabel was scandalized. “Your breeches? Joao! What would people think?”

  “I don’t know what people would think if they were to know, and the natives will not care, as their women are largely naked.” He laughed at her further scandalized expression. “You do not have to decide now, meu amor. You will know the land before we must walk, and you can choose what to do with your skirts.” He kissed her. He didn’t think he’d mind seeing her in breeches, but it didn’t seem like the time to mention it.

  They left after first light. They followed trails used by the natives, and although these wandered and meandered between homesteads and villages, in general they found themselves heading northwest. Isabel was settled comfortably on a narrow cart drawn by two large cows whose calves were tied to the cart. Isabel had seen a lot of Africa on their travels, but mostly coastland. She was entranced by the brown grasses, the huge red mounds that the natives had told her were made by mchwa. As best as she could gather, these were a white ants with wings, and, to her disgust, the men seemed to view them as a delicacy to eat.

  As they got away from human settlements, they saw more and more animals. Four legged creatures that looked like exotic deer, which the natives taught her were swala. Wild hogs that got down on their knees to eat and drink, and which were remarkably fast, called mbango. Small weasels called nguchiro. On the fourth day out, they saw a pride of simba resting on a rock outcropping. She knew these from drawings she had seen in books, although they looked much more majestic and imposing in real life. Leao in Portuguese. Lions. The guide told them that they were very sleepy in the day, and not very dangerous if not disturbed. But at night they hunted and could be heard across great distances, and that keeping fires lit and men on watch was necessary to keep they, themselves, from being eaten. She shuddered, and was glad for the munitions that the men carried.

  As they made their way to the Save River, there were, indeed, times when it was unsafe to ride in the cart, and Isabel and Joao walked side by side along the trail. The first time this happened, Isabel refused to remove her skirts. However the heat, once she was exerting herself, and the thorns along the path which grabbed and ripped her clothing, made it nearly impossible to keep the pace of the rest of the party, and she quickly realized the wisdom of breeches. Joao held up a blanket for her, and she traded her skirts for a pair of his fawn colored breeches. She was immediately struck by the comfort and practicality of the garment.

  “I do not know why women must wear skirts!” she exclaimed. “These breeches are so very much more util, practical!”

  Joao kissed her. “And they show your form very well, meu querido.” She blushed, but squeezed his hand at the compliment.

  They reached the Save river after two weeks. Because it was the dry season, water had been scarce in the dry landscape, and they were almost out of the now stale tasting water that they had brought with them. Bathing had been non-existent, so when the flowing river came in sight there were many reasons for excitement and cheering. They set up camp on a bank, not too close because the guide was concerned about mamba, or crocodiles. This led Isabel to a moment of panic about their eventual crossing of this river, but Joao told her that they would follow it on the south side for some time, and by the time they needed to cross it, it was little more than a stream. She put that eventuality out of her mind, and concentrated on the lovely sound and feel of fresh, cool water.

  In the event, no crocodiles were spotted. The guide positioned his men at both ends of a fifty foot stretch of beach, armed with loaded muskets, and the oldest one, who was apparently well versed in the ways of the creatures, scoured the water and banks for them. When none were spotted after some time, water casks were refilled, clothes were washed, buckets were brought to the wazungus tent for bathing, and the animals were temporarily pegged where they could drink their fill.

  Several of the natives took sharpened spears and waded knee deep into the water. Joao, standing watch outside their tent while Isabel bathed, watched the men stand very still, looking at the water. With a quick flick of their wrist, they stabbed downwards, and many times came up with a wriggling fish. Joao remembered this from his initial trek inland, and knew that a delicious dinner of fresh fish wrapped in aromatic leaves would be on their plates that very evening.

  Also that evening, the men built up a large fire and brought out homemade instruments. They played lovely, plaintive music; dancing music with a strong, warlike beat; and songs that they joined with singing, with whoops and ululations and tribal languages. It was exciting and disconcerting, and Isabel and Joao felt privileged to be witnesses to it. When several of the younger men laid down their instruments and began to dance, Joao joined in. Isabel shook her head at their insistence that she join the dance, but laughed and clapped to watch her husband cavort and hop around with the smiling men.

  Their journey upriver was beautiful, but held its own challenges. Many animals had gathered by the river as the dry season continued, and they had to be constantly on guard against the various wild cats that had also gathered where the food was plentiful. At night the sounds of lions hunting and eating could be heard across the flatlands. The frightening laughing sound of the vikuto never ceased to inspire terror in Isabel, and she often clung onto Joao in the night. On many occasions they did see a crocodile, looking like a log floating in the water, or sunning itself on the bank of the river. Once, they watched as a particularly large creature, which had apparently been lying in wait under the water, rise up in front of a young swala and carry it away, causing its herd to scatter in fear.

  The elephants in their party seemed to do as good a job as the fires at keeping the predators away, but they did not seem to be too discouraging to the black faced monkeys that were everywhere. These monkeys were not afraid of the men, the fire, the elephants, or anything else, and frequently tried to steal thin
gs from their camp. Their particular favorite, aside from any kind of food, was anything shiny, so Isabel quickly learned to keep her small mirrored glass, and her silver comb, hidden away, well inside her bag of sewing.

  After another ten days, the river became noticeably narrower, which meant that the animal populations were thicker. Hunting was good for the men, and fresh meat was plentiful. The leader instructed the men to smoke some of the meat over the fire each night, and to fill up the water casks to the top each morning, as the river would soon become narrow.

  They were not surprised, then, when he announced one morning that they would cross the river that day, and leave its side. Isabel, especially, was sad to see it go, and watched behind her as the cart carried them away. Joao, walking beside her, reached up and grabbed her hand, kissing her fingers.

  “It’s all right, meu amor. You will see a very great wonder, and not too long now. And you know, we have to get back to the ship again, so you will see your beloved river.”

  “Ah, Joao!” She clapped her hands. “I forgot we must go back again! That is wonderful. I have fallen in love with this…” She spread her arms wide. “This Africa!”

  A week later, they arrived. The sight was called zimbabwe, or dzimba-dza-mabwe, “large houses of stone,” to the local Shona tribe. They made their camp in the valley, which contained some crumbling stone walls and other ruins. Joao knew that this was the least of the ruins, but enjoyed Isabel’s fascination with them, and walked around them with her as the porters set up the cooking area, the best hunter went to find fresh game, and the animals were taken care of.

  “Who lived here?” Isabel asked.

  “It is somewhat of a mystery… the Shona say that the Munuputapa lived here, the great kings. No one really knows, or knows why they left. There is much more, which we will begin to see in the morning, my dear. It is lovely out here, in this Africa, is it not?”

  The next morning, Isabel was rendered speechless when Joao took her to a grouping of structures on the top of a hill. Most appeared to have been small houses, although there was a larger structure on the edge of the hill. Inside one of the dwellings, shards of broken pottery and rotting pieces of baskets could be seen in the dirt. Exploring one of the farther dwellings, Isabel spotted what appeared to be a smooth black rock in the ground, and reached down to it. When it didn’t come up readily, she bent over and tugged on it.

  “Joao, can you help me get this stone? I fancy the smooth black surface, and would like to have it for our house in Lisbon, as a reminder of zimbabwe.”

  Joao knelt down and tugged on the stone. It didn’t move. He took his chisel out of his pocket and carefully displaced the dirt around the rock. He tugged again and it rocked slightly, but was still not loose.

  “It must be quite a large rock. Do you still want it?” Seeing Isabel’s nod, he went back to carefully digging around the stone. When he had dug a hole almost ten inches deep around the smooth black rock, he finally felt it release. It was surprisingly heavy, and he used both hands to pull it out. When it emerged, he was astonished. It was a bird!

  “Oh my!” Isabel exclaimed. “It is lovely! It is a bird, is it not?” Joao nodded and used his sleeve to wipe most of the dirt off. When it was clean, it was obvious: it was a black, delicately carved bird, with a solid base adorned with a geometric pattern. It was all one piece, and weighed several pounds.

  “You have quite a reminder now, Isabel!” He wrapped it carefully in his waistcoat, and they went back to their tent.

  When Joao showed the statue to the guide after dinner that night, the man was stunned. “This is a very great blessing, bwana. It is said to be very good luck to find an object of the great kings, and the birds were sacred to them. You have the blessings of the gods, bwana!” He enthusiastically bowed to him.

  “I believe in one true God, o meu amigo. But He has, indeed, blessed me mightily, and we will cherish this treasure always.”

  Later that night, as he was putting the final words on his letter to the progeny that would follow him on this quest, he thought that it was truly a sign. He didn’t know if the crumbling valley dwellings were the right place for this clue, but he knew beyond a doubt that God had confirmed his choice of the zimbabwe for a hiding place.

  The following day, Joao, Isabel, and an armed porter explored father afield, into more of the ruins of the stone houses. There was a large structure with a great, thick wall. The stone buildings were connected, with passageways winding through the thick walls. At one corner was a tall, enormously thick tower. The roof had fallen in, and was littering the floor. The gap let in light, and they could see that the walls were at least twenty feet thick. Building it was quite a feat, and Joao wondered at these natives who had contrived such an amazing thing.

  They wandered through the complex, and Isabel drew the likeness of the characters over the entrance. The porter shook his head when Joao asked if he could read the letters carved there. “La! Iko Shona.” When they returned to camp, their guide also shrugged and shook his head in the universal gesture of not knowing.

  “It may be Shona, bwana. But the meaning is lost, even to those people. It is not known what those words say. It is lost.”

  That night, Joao and Isabel discussed where they should leave their clue. Joao felt that the tower was the best choice, as it was so obviously substantial and able to withstand the trials of time. Isabel felt that they should honor God’s gift to them, and leave it in one of the structures on the hill. They could not reach an agreement, except to agree that they would spend more time exploring the site before reaching a decision.

  The following morning, Joao awakened before first light. He knew that it could be dangerous to wander about alone, but he felt that he needed to see the sun rise over the zimbabwe, and thank God for their safe passage, for the stone bird, and for this beautiful creation that was Africa. He saw that there were two men still on guard by the fire, and, feeling a bit foolhardy, but also compelled, he moved to a site that was invisible to everyone at the camp, facing east towards both the sun and the ruined stone houses.

  As the sun rose, it illuminated the hill first, before he could actually see the orb. Soon the light of the sun’s rays came through the dwellings themselves, seeming to set them alight from the inside. As he prayed and thanked God for all the provision in his life, the sun continued to rise, and soon there was just one structure in his vision, ablaze with the first morning light. Isabel was right. It will be there.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Zimbabwe

  Present Day

  The morning after the false hyena scare, Rei and Gideon set out for the ruins. Both of them felt the pressure of time, as the likelihood of the monks chartering a plane increased with every passing hour. They knew that, if they didn’t find the clue this morning, they would be in a situation they wouldn’t like and may not win.

  They hurried along, and even Rei wasn’t thinking about creatures. She kept mumbling, “It’s got to be the Hill. It’s just got to be the hill…” under her breath.

  When they arrived once again on the site, they immediately made their way to the Hill Complex. There were only three other people about, as they had arrived exactly at the 9:00 opening time. None of the three visitors was dressed in black, so they felt safe for the moment. The hike up to the structures seemed steeper in practice than in observation, but they kept up a brisk pace, Gideon leading the way. When they reached the top, they realized that there were a number of small structures, and one larger one. And once again, it was much larger than they had envisioned.

  “Oh Lord, how will we search all this? It’s huge!” Rei’s face showed her pessimism.

  “Let’s just be systematic. It’ll be easier and quicker to look in all these houses first. There’s enough light, so we can split up. That’s, what, three or four each? We can do that. If we come up empty… We’ll have to go in there.” He pointed to the walls of the large structure. “Let’s hope we don’t. Come on, I’ll take every other on
e. You start here.”

  He steered Rei to the first house, and he jogged ahead to the next one. They both employed the same strategy—start at the door, work around counter clockwise, searching from the floor to the top of the walls. There were no roofs, so the light was good. There were animal carvings and the remains of primitive paintings on some of the walls, so they paid attention to the existing carvings first. They were mostly of birds, and Rei recalled that the famous black soapstone birds were found in these houses, and on the hill. Some of them were taller than a man… She brought her mind back to the task at hand.

  She didn’t find anything in the second or third of her structures either. She was entering the fourth and final one when she heard Gideon yelling her name. She couldn’t tell where his voice was coming from, so she exited the house and stood looking back the way she’d come, head cocked.

  “Rei!” From her left. She ran over to the fourth house in the group. Ducking inside, she saw Gideon frantically digging in the dirt in the far left corner.

  “Did you find it?” She ran over to him.

  “I found an X,” he said. He pointed quickly to a spot just to the right of the corner. There.”

  Rei peered over his shoulder. Sure enough, there was a four inch high X, carved in what she had come to think of as Father Eduardo’s signature style. She heard a clink and saw Gideon reach into the hole, coming up with the prize.